A Guide to Independent Princesses

I admit it. I’ve always wanted to be a Princess.

No, not the Walt Disney kind, where I’m waiting around for Prince Charming to show up. I want to be the kind that can jump on a horse, slay a dragon by noon, and be back in the castle by 5:00 to be served a nice dinner. That’s a wonderful life.

How do we pick between the images of those princesses that wait around to be kissed and those that actually do something?

How did Levine tackle the Sleeping Beauty tale, which is a classic wait-for-the-handsome-prince story? In her bookPrincess Sonora and the Long Sleep, Princess Sonora is 10 times smarter than anyone else. Everyone in the castle finds it tiresome. Princess Sonora tries to outwit her destiny of having her finger pricked by the spindle and falling into a deep sleep, but fate intervenes. Her mother screams, the princess runs to find out what’s the matter. She collides with her mother, who is holding the spindle. Fate takes over.

When the prince comes to find the sleeping castle to answer to why the sheep in his kingdom are balding, he is initially repulsed by the sleeping princess. (“What’s was that on the her cheek and in the corner of her mouth? Spit? Bird droppings? Ugh!”) But he hears her muttering wisdom in her sleep and decides to kiss her after all.

Undoubtedly Princess Sonora becomes wiser. That’s a good lesson for any princess, independant or not.

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